Program Educational Objectives
The Forest Engineering Program at Oregon State University prepares graduates to plan and implement complex forestry and natural resource operations that help meet global demands for wood products while sustaining water, habitat, and other forest resources. It provides “work ready” graduates for entry into the diverse professional field of forest engineering. Early career accomplishments include harvest unit design, forest road location and design, contract inspection and administration, cost analysis, and forest transportation system design and management. Mid-career accomplishments commonly expand to involve aspects of engineering management, including planning and budgeting, supervision, wood procurement, harvest and road design reviews, and scheduling and controlling forest operations.
These objectives are achieved through an educational program that includes the following elements:
Engineering in a Forestry Context
- a rigorous engineering education within a forestry context.
- the fundamental forestry principles so that Forest Engineering graduates will be able to develop engineered forest operations that achieve silvicultural objectives.
Soil and Water Resources
- the physical and biological aspects of soil and water resources so that Forest Engineering graduates will be able to develop engineered forest operations that appropriately protect these resources.
Surveying and Measurement
- surveying and measurement of land and forest resources so that the engineering tasks associated with Forest Land Management, specifically, the design of appropriate Forest Operations can be effectively completed.
- analysis and design principles for the physical and system aspects of the Forest Transportation infrastructure so that Forest Engineering graduates can provide designs and manage the forest transportation in a way that meets the needs of forest land management and minimizes environmental impact.
- analysis and design principles for the physical and system aspects of Harvesting operations so that Forest Engineering graduates can plan and manage safe, economic, and environmentally sound forest operations.
Planning and Economics
- principles and techniques for forest land management and operational planning in an environmental and economic context so that Forest Engineering graduates can effectively develop successful forest operation plans.
Program Size and Graduation Data
The Forest Engineering program is small by University standards, but the result is a close relationship between faculty and students. It is a long standing tradition that Faculty and students in the Forest Engineering program are on a "first name" basis. The chart belows shows the total enrollment in the Forest Engineering program and the number of graduates by year for the last six years. Both values include students in the Forest Engineering/Civil Engineering double degree program, as well as the regular Forest Engineering program.